Summer Tarping for Salad ProductionFarmer-Led Research

Normally, once harvest is complete

Rototill residue into beds

Then rototill again before planting

METHODS

6 mil silage tarp 40’ x 200’

sealing the edges with soil

Lettuce stubble after 2 weeks under tarp

Bed prep –Minimum Till with tine weeder

Direct Seeding

MIN TILL TILL

MIN TILLTILL

MIN TILL TILL

Tarping beds, without tilling before and with minimum tillage after

(MT), reduced tillage by 82%.

Tillage before tarping (TT) reduced tillage by 39%.

P<0.01

RESULTS: Tillage

All greens grew faster when soil was managed with tarps and

minimum tillage (MT).

There was no difference in growth of greens when soil was tilled

before tarping (TT).

RESULTS: Crop Growth

Gillian Files and Brent Preston

https://thenewfarm.ca/

@thenewfarm